Origins
by SidiousSith
Summary: Forgotten RealmsStar Wars crossover. How did Palpatine become so evil? He learned from the masters..the drow. After being thrown into a time warp to Menzoberranzan, young Palpatine studies to unleash his evil powers under the tutelage of a dark mentor...
1. Chapter 1

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away..

"The dark side of the Force is a pathway to many abilities which some would consider to be unnatural." -Darth Sidious, Dark Lord of the Sith.

Many have theorized as to the origins of this important figure in galactic history, from his rise to Naboo's senator all the way to his proclamation of the Empire's founding. Yet, no one person has ever truly figured out the puzzle that is Palpatine's life story. Yet, in a groundbreaking new discovery of personal files locked away in the Imperial Archives, the truth can know be told. How did he become evil incarnate? How did he learn to manipulate & deceive the hearts & minds of millions of beings in the many worlds of Star Wars? The answer can be found deep in the impenetrable darkness of a world without light, life, or love-the Underdark of Menzoberranzan. Completely devoid of emotion, save for the very things that fuel the Dark Side-fear, anger, & hatred-this is the land of Palpatine's youth. His training ground. His ultimate paradise. His playground. Thrust through a hole in the Force that sent him spinning through time & space, young Palpatine found himself in a foreign land, with a foreign teacher, offering him power beyond his wildest dreams. Finally, what he had been searching for was within his grasp-the power that he knew to reside within himself. The power of the Dark.

A/N: New story teaser!! This will be jointly posted in both the Star Wars & Forgotten Realms categories, with the first actual update coming within 3 days. Comments? Questions? Suggestions? Message me! Thanks & May the Force be with You!!

–SidiousSith :)


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: First off, I would like to thank my first reviewer, Dark Queen Come To Krynn & the 40 some people who read my teaser! Hope you enjoy Chapter One!! Thanks again! -SidiousSith : )

Walking through the streets of Naboo's capital, Theed, young Aaron Palpatine looked just like any other twelve-year-old.. yet somehow, he'd always known that he was.. different. Not visibly, he'd made sure of that a long, long time ago, but subtly, he didn't feel like them.

He understood them, yes-he could even imitate them to an unparalled skill-but he didn't comprehend why they thought differently. It was almost like he was in a foreign land, one filled with people who could never truly relate to him, could never begin to understand how he felt, and that he felt nothing at all. Devoid of emotion. Lifeless, even. Yet to him, it felt.. right. Normal. Like he was home or something.

Not that he had even known "home"-he never knew his parents, had lived a life by himself, for himself, on the streets, helped by the government to live & find a job, studying politics. Ah, politics.. dispassionate dealings, treacherous backstabbings, constant rivalries for higher & higher positions of power-these were things he could completely understand. The need for more power was something he could always relate to, eternally show, no matter what-it was a constant of most societies.

And so, as he strolled back to his student apartments, along the banks of the unusually troubled Solleu River, he never noticed a portal forming on the edges of his awareness, a abysmal umbra that shadowed even the extraordinarily dark Naboo twilight. Swirling, it was directly in front of him, as Aaron simply walked into it, never noticing a change-so absorbed as he was in his meditations-until it was far too late.

As all this was occurring, in another galaxy far, far away, three shadows meet in the darkness underneath Narbondel, the great heat-clock of Menzoberranzan, capital of the Drow world in the Underdark.

"So.. the Chosen has decided to come. I am shocked." One lengthy shadow speaks, as the other two approach.

"Malice, I would not be so shocked by what Lolth can do-you are a High Priestess yourself, as am I."

"I have not suddenly lost all sanity, Matron Oblodra-if anyone, it should be _I _who reminds _you_ of Lolth's power & majesty."

"Peace, my sisters. You both seem to forget who is in charge here.. need _I _say more? Now be calm-her Chosen will soon arrive."

Begrudgingly, Malice & Oblodra listen to Triel Baenre, Head Mistress of Arach-Tinilith-for both of their sakes. She & her house currently had the most favor in Lolth's eyes & so could strike them down without question or even true cause, as long as Lolth approved of it. After pausing for a moment, she continues onward:

"You both realize what must be done? He is human-iblith, not worthy to be here-yet, he must seem as if he has lived among the drow all his life. Lolth has demanded it of her Chosen-he is to be one of her newest agents of chaos, both in Menzoberranzan & worlds beyond. You must teach him our rules-through force, if necessary. He will learn-that is what must happen, or all three of us will _irrevocably_ lose her favor. You need no reminders of what should happen in that case, I would hope. Ah, at last-here he comes."

Out of nowhere, a spider-silk portal, characteristic of Lolth, opened upon a cavern deep in the Underdark, spilling out Aaron before the three gathered Matron Mothers. Before he knew it, spiders had gathered around his ankles, weaving extremely strong webs around them, effectively holding him in place until they constructed enough to form a chair, which Aaron promptly was forced to sit in. Stunned, all he could do was wait & look all three hooded Matron Mothers-wondering what in the world had happened to him.

"Welcome young Palpatine.. do you know why you have been summoned here?" Triel asks.

"No, ma'am-I was simply plucked out of the sky while walking home and I.."

"_Silence!_ We care nothing for what you have already done-only what you can do in the future. What do you know of power?"

Sensing that he could tell these three mysterious figures the truth, he simply says:

"Power is what fuels the world. It is above all, what any sentient being should strive to have more of. It is what makes life important."

Whispering excitedly to themselves, they each signal to the other in the drow hand code-almost simultaneously-"He is truly Lolth's Chosen!!"

Assuming her composure back soonest, Matron Malice speaks to Aaron: "You express exactly what we three were hoping. Welcome to Menzoberranzan. This is the Underdark, land of the Drow-the Dark Elves. Here we worship the Dark Lady Lolth, a goddess of mighty & terrible power. She has chosen you to come here & be trained by us to become an agent of chaos & disorder, to learn the ways of deceit, treachery & most importantly, the path to power. Since you are but a male, all females are above you in rank, but you still wield great power in this city & others like it, especially if you can prove yourself worthy of it. So, are you willing to gain more power? Learn from us & other dark elves? In effect, become one of us, as ordained by Lolth?"

After a momentary delay, Palpatine found himself saying: "I am willing. For power, I will learn." The words sounded so.. right. Like he was truly meant to be here, living among these 'drow.' He thinks to himself that he may just be able to truly find a place among them-possibly even a home in this 'Menzoberranzan.'

Smiling to herself, Matron Baenre remarks, "Good, young Aaron. Now, this is Matron Malice Do'Urden & Matron Oblodra. Follow Matron Malice & she will teach you of drow society-what you will have to learn to survive here. We are not a hospitable society toward those who will not work for what they want. Your training will begin with her, learning the intricacies of our life, then you will come to us & other drow to learn of psionics, manipulation, swordsmanship, magic, & many other things. Go-your new life as a drow, A'alis Do'Urden, begins now. Prove your worth to Lolth."

As she spoke, three luminous disks of bluish hue, with the insignia of House Baenre upon them, came up behind each of the drow, where they promptly sat down upon, letting all but Matron Malice depart back to their individual houses.

"There is one last thing-you must appear as drow in our city. So.." She then swiftly spoke a few words in the drow language, when all of a sudden Palpatine felt a mysterious tingling sensation come over him. Within seconds after it had subsided, he looked at his hands-now coal black, as he found himself dressed in the finery of a drow prince, all with the emblems of spiders covering the cloak that seemed to be of darkness itself.

"Now you look as a prince of our society, as one chosen by Lolth herself-as you should. Come, young A'alis. Follow me carefully through the streets of Menzoberranzan-they are not crowded, but it is easy for a male to get lost in them. It would be.. unfortunate were you not to arrive at home."

With that, the spiderwebs parted to allow him to walk behind Malice. As he started back upon the barely visible path set by the brilliant blue sparks cascading off the magical disk, he couldn't help but think:

"Home", he thought to himself, slightly grinning at the thought. "Finally.. home."

A/N: There we go-first chapter:) Hope you liked it! There are a few things you probably need to know, though:

-I am writing this in the time before Drizzt was born & before the Time of Troubles (both may come into play later, though)

-This is a complete time warp, so time is irrelevant when it comes to comparing Menzoberranzan & Naboo. (You're probably wondering what is happening at Theed-that will come.. later.)

-I don't know Matron Oblodra's first name, so that's what she will be called in this fic. (Unless someone could message me & let me know.)

-Yes, I repeatedly say there are three Matron Mothers, though Triel at this time is not one. (This is before Mithral Hall.) It's just a little easier than writing two Matron Mothers & Mistress of the Academy.

-Yes, Aaron Palpatine. Don't ask me why, it just sounded good. And now he is A'alis Do'Urden. Thirdboy of Do'Urden, I know-but Lolth herself put him there, thus he is no sacrifice.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Hello there! Here we go with Chapter Two of Origins-but first, I really want to thank my three reviewers-Dark Queen Come To Krynn, Insolent, & Wawoot!! Thank you three so much for reviewing. Also, I'd like to thank the other 99 who have been reading, but haven't reviewed-thanks!! Now on to the story! -SidiousSith

As they approached the huge adamantine gates of the Do'Urden compound, wrought into the shape of spiders, A'alis couldn't help but remark to Malice about them: "Matron, why is everything here covered in spiders?" Slightly laughing to herself, Malice paused for a second & then spoke: "Foolish young A'alis, I will forgive your oblivious nature this time. They are the symbols of Lolth, our Goddess. Our Spider Queen. It is she who brought us, long ago, to the wonderful paradise that is the Underdark. Did you notice the buildings we passed earlier? That is Tier Breche, our Academy. It is comprised of three schools-Sorcere, the tower of magic & wizardly dealings, Melee-Magthere, the pyramidal school of fighters, & Arach-Tinilith, the spider-shaped complex for female clerics of Lolth, where they learn of her & deadly power beyond even your imagination." As they passed through the strong gates, a figure stepped out of the shadows-yet spotted by no one, and bent down to pick up a rapidly crawling spider. "Ah, my pet. Thank you for coming back to me with such glorious news as swiftly as you have-rest now." She said, while stroking it lightly on the head, watching Malice & A'alis. Speaking to herself, she commented ever so softly: "So, Matron Malice, it seems that all three of you followed my commands to the letter. A'alis, listen well to her. She will teach you much of power & what you will need to survive here. I at first had my doubts about you, but you swept them all away, beyond even my wildest dreams. Best of luck to you, for the time will come when I shall visit you & it will be time to return to your galaxy. But first, you must learn. Do me proud, my Chosen One." With that, the figure disappeared in a pillar of smoke, leaving only spiders in her wake, for she was the Lady Lolth, Queen of Spiders & Mistress of Menzoberranzan.  
Suddenly, the blue disk dissipated, which left only Matron Malice, standing calmly, in front of a huge stalagtite-rising all the way up to a distant balcony, many many feet above them. "Your first lesson will be to levitate-I am sure Lolth has provided you with some of our innate powers, to help you survive here. Reach inside yourself, feel that core of power within yourself & will yourself to rise up to that ledge. I will help you if you do not get it the first time, so that you do not fall from such a tall height. Now.. find that place of darkness inside of you & rise up to that ledge!" Even as she was speaking, A'alis was finding a cold place centered within his very soul, it seemed. Completely unaware of his surroundings, he couldn't tell when he rose 10, 20, 30 feet above the ground until he gracefully landed upon the balcony, completely shocking Malice. "He has the grace of a drow already.. amazing." She thought to herself, then quickly disguised her look of complete shock, while rising up to join him. Within seconds, her astounded expression had been replaced by a slight smile-extremely rare for Malice. "Excellent, A'alis. You already seem to be doing quite well. I feel that you will learn quickly our ways & shall be able to move on to greater studies soon." "Thank you, my Matron." He replied, bowing. Noting that this only brought an even wider smile to her face, he chuckled to himself inside his head, thinking that maybe all that political training could actually help him here. "Come, let us go introduce you to your new siblings. They are awaiting our arrival." She had already talked to Briza about the coming of Lolth's Chosen-she was not aware, however, that he was a human. No, the official story would be that he is a drow cousin of theirs, off for many years wandering through the Underdark's cities, seeking knowledge. She was informed, though, that he was to be treated with the highest respect that could be offered a male-since he was sent to them by Lolth-& that all the family would help to educate him in traditional drow ways. It seemed though, that he already had learned much without any help-that aided her plan greatly.  
As he walked beside Malice through the corridors toward the Do'Urden chapel, he couldn't help but admire the beautiful artistry put into the carvings in the archways, the intricate weavings-like spiderwebs-engraved upon the stone floors, & the huge statues of arachnids gracing every single twist & turn in the pathway. It seemed so surreal, to feel to at ease in a place he'd never been before, let alone get this comfortable in. It was strange & wonderful at the same time, to feel as if all Menzoberranzan were filled with people just like him. It gave him so many ideas of what he could do here-the possibilities were sheerly mind boggling. Then-he couldn't help but gasp in amazement & wonder-his eyes fell upon the chapel. It was stunning. Completely. He paid no mind to the people standing there, awaiting Matron Malice to speak-they just weren't as interesting. This chapel, though.. it bristled with power. It called to him, beckoning him with promises of power & glory-if he would listen. Right then & there, he decided that power certainly came first & that this place and all the drow in it most definitely could help him gain even more. Magic really sounded fun..  
While thinking, his face twisted into a wicked smirk, customary of most drow-unbeknownst to him, Matron Malice was watching the whole time, while speaking to the gathered members of House Do'Urden, very pleased by what he was thinking. He certainly was the Chosen of Lolth.. "My family, we have a new member to welcome into our family-A'alis Do'Urden. He is your long lost cousin, sent out on a mission to gain more knowledge for Lolth & Menzoberranzan. He has been away from most drow ever since he can remember, so we must help him. This duty is dictated to us by Lolth herself, to aid him in his quest. So.. Dinin-teach him of the city. Guide him around to all the places he should know. As a Master of Melee-Magthere, you can take him inside the Academy. See where his talents may best lie. Nalfein, follow & guide him through Sorcere. Do you understand?" They both reply in unison, "Yes, Matron Malice," yet it is evident to Malice they do not look forward to teaching their new charge. Ignoring their subtle signals for now, she thought to herself: "They will learn in time. Besides, it would do both of them good to learn patience." As soon as they had left, leaving Zaknafein, Rizzen & her daughters alone in the Do'Urden chapel, she remarked to the two males: "Both of you follow them, too. I want no trouble from any of them. If anything happens to him.. you know the price." Bowing simultaneously, they both retreat into the shadows, taking care not to be noticed by the three in front of them. Briza was the first to remark: "Why must we take care of him, Matron? He is just a male.." "A male chosen by Lolth" Malice said, effectively cutting her off. "He is different, I will agree, but what exactly is so special about that one, Matron? He is no cousin of ours, either.." "Darn.." Malice thought to herself. "I was hoping to avoid this.. arg. But Vierna has always been powerful in looking past appearances. I will have to tell her." After a pause of a few seconds, she finally speaks: "Vierna, he is different because of his power. Power given to him by Lolth. He could rival a high priestess if ever given access to such clerical power-and his skill with manipulation & deceit is exceedingly strong. He is no ordinary drow, you are correct. But he is your cousin. Briza, Maya-leave us." Sensing that Vierna had just set herself up for a fall, they both gave Malice hurried bows & rushed out of the room. Vierna also expected some retribution for her remarks, but was completely shocked when Matron Malice started laughing-softly at first, then slightly louder until it echoed throughout the spacious chapel. "Vierna, my daughter, you have always been the clever one. Ever so skilled at looking through disguises.. No, he is no cousin. He is not even drow. A human, from another plane of existence, is what he is." Now utterly stunned, she could do nothing but stammer: "Why.." & couldn't prevent her jaw dropping, which made Malice laugh even more. "My daughter, he is Lolth's Chosen One. He has dark power flowing through his veins, within his very soul. He has the potential to be evil incarnate upon his home plane. Remember, Lolth loves chaos. What is more chaotic than picking as your avatar a person who goes against all you are, in appearance? He is a male & human, yet his soul mirrors Lolth herself. He has the potential to terrorize his home plane more than anything ever before. I have seen this place only once-it is like the surface world above, except with many, many more species. There is an insane amount of planets. It is... horrid enough already, but he stands for the chance to make it a living hell for those already living there. A mirror of the Underdark. A new territory for Lolth to control & the drow to expand to. It is, in essence, the perfect plan. Now do you understand?" Regaining her composure, Vierna slowly nods her head, and then asks Malice: "Do you wish for me not to tell any of the others about this?" "Yes. This must stay secret. It was known only to me, Matron Oblodra, Triel Baenre, Lolth, & now you. That is how it will stay. Correct?" "Absolutely." Vierna replied, now smirking at the sheer brilliance of Lolth's plans. "Now, go join your sisters. I have much to prepare for-he still has much to learn before he can truly claim his place."  
As they both left to do what must be done, it seemed that the giant statue of the spider's eyes flickered red for a second, as if laughing, then left as soon as it had appeared, leaving the chapel completely empty.

A/N: Next chapter should be up in a few days.


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